Chapter Thirty #2
Surely, he wouldn’t be able to run. Olivia turned to flee.
She stopped before she started. A huge black shape emerged from the roadside thicket.
A bear! The cold that swept through Olivia went far deeper than the rain and wind could reach.
It chilled her soul. This was an apex predator.
It could eat her, and it was standing a dozen feet away, blocking her path.
The underbrush rustled near it and a tiny black lump the size of a golden retriever ambled out.
A cub.
The chill in her bones turned to ice.
Olivia didn’t move. If the bear thought she was a threat, it might attack. Not many things were more aggressive than a literal mama bear.
Behind her, the sound of mud sucking at a shoe made her glance over her shoulder.
Tim staggered closer, dragging his wounded leg.
Olivia’s heart stumbled. She couldn’t go forward but she had to get away from Tim.
She stepped sideways, trying to put as much distance between her and both threats—though frankly, Tim scared her more than the bear.
Sure, it could eat her, but it wouldn’t torture her for kicks first.
“What the fuck?” Tim stopped short.
The bear chuffed, then stood up on its hind legs and bellowed. The roar vibrated Olivia’s bones.
Tim faced the bear. “Jesus Christ.”
Olivia had done a piece about black bears early in her career. Posturing could chase them away. They weren’t known to be aggressive.
Except when they had cubs.
Tim held out his knife, shaking it at the bear. “Don’t fucking come at me.”
The bear roared, then charged him. It swiped a paw.
Tim staggered backward. A scream ripped from his mouth.
The bear lunged forward. Tim stumbled back and almost went down on his wounded leg.
Lightning flashed, and Olivia could see rivers of blood running down his chest. He fell backward, scrambling like a crab while the bear pursued.
The bear continued to push him across the road.
On the opposite side, the bear charged again, another swat landing on the side of his head, splitting open his face like a ripe watermelon. The blood flowed faster than the rain could wash it off. Olivia couldn’t look away. Her feet were riveted to the muddy gravel road.
Tim lurched to his feet and swayed. His feet caught on a rock.
His arms flailed. His shredded face emitted a scream as he teetered, arms windmilling, body tipping.
He fell backward into the gorge below. Fear rooted Olivia in place, though she realized she should have gotten away while the bear was engaged with Tim.
She’d missed her opportunity, and now she was faced with a raging, protective mother bear.
But she’d been mesmerized. Her pulse hammered in her ears.
Lightning flashed, and thunder cracked. Olivia flinched but kept her feet rooted in place.
If she ran, the bear would chase her, and she could not outrun it.
Climbing a tree was pointless. Black bears were excellent climbers.
She had no bear spray, and no weapon that was in any way practical against a bear.
She breathed shallowly and waited for the bear to decide. The ball was in its court.
The wind gusted. The bear gave the air a final deep sniff, then dropped to all fours.
Olivia focused on a tree a few feet away from the bear, in case direct eye contact could be perceived as a challenge.
Think nonthreatening thoughts.
The bear turned and lumbered away. Three cubs burst from the thicket and followed in her tracks. They ran into the woods, accelerating up the slope effortlessly. Olivia stared until they disappeared into the forest. Relief made her lightheaded.
Get your shit together. Just because the bear knocked Tim off a cliff doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods—literally—yet.
Zoe needed a hospital, and she didn’t know how badly Lincoln was hurt. The storm continued to rage. If the roads weren’t impassable, they soon would be.
She crossed the road and looked over the edge of the ravine, just to make sure Tim hadn’t landed on a handy ledge.
He hadn’t. She could only see the first twenty feet or so, but the gorge looked deep.
Could Tim have survived a fall from a deck, a tumble down a steep slope, a bullet wound, a bear attack, a knife wound to the Achilles tendon, and a fall into a gorge?
It was unlikely unless he was a comic book villain, but Olivia couldn’t exactly climb down to make sure.
“Liv!” Lincoln’s voice spun her around.
She ran toward him, splashing through a mud puddle.
He wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest for a minute.
His heart thudded against her cheek, solid proof that he was alive.
They had to go—but she needed this moment.
He grounded her. She lifted her head and cupped his cheek. “You’re all right?”
He nodded. “He must have hit a nerve or something. I was stunned for a few minutes. All good now.”
“I’m sure you’ll be black and blue.”
“I’ll never be happier to live to see my bruises.” He put her at arm’s length. “What happened? Where’s Tim?”
Olivia nodded toward the gorge. “He fell. I’ll tell you all about it while we drive out of here.”
Zoe was pale and only semiconscious as they half carried her to the vehicle. The dog barked as they approached but behaved as they loaded Zoe into the back seat, stretching her leg with the broken ankle on the seat next to her. “I’d prefer to elevate her ankle, but it’s just not possible.”
“No. Road conditions are not good. We have to move. Make sure her seat belt is fastened.” Lincoln brought an emergency blanket from the cargo area, and Olivia tucked it around her friend’s shoulders.
They were all wearing waterproof jackets, but the relentless rain had infiltrated their outer layers.
Olivia pressed a hand to Zoe’s forehead. Her friend felt clammy.
“Let’s go.” Lincoln slid behind the wheel.
Olivia got into the passenger seat, putting the dog on her lap and wrapping him in the sweatshirt.
She brought in so much rainwater with her that it puddled on the seat.
Didn’t matter. Her ass was cold and wet anyway.
She spotted seat heaters and turned them on.
At least her butt would be warm. Not dry, but warm. She’d take what she could get.
Lincoln started the engine. “We’ll have heat in a few minutes.”
Turning the SUV around felt precarious now that Olivia knew how deep the ravine was on the south side of the road.
But Lincoln safely navigated the one-eighty and headed back down the mountain.
They approached the narrow bridge. On the other side, a cop car approached the bridge, lights swirling.
Water lapped across the wooden slats. Lincoln slowed, then brought the vehicle to a halt.
“I’m going to get out and see how deep that water is.
” He stepped out and walked to the edge.
Olivia watched him through the windshield.
The wipers arced frantically but couldn’t keep up with the continuous downpour.
Lincoln walked onto the bridge. The water barely covered his ankles.
He returned to the vehicle and slammed the door.
“It’s not that deep. The SUV has good clearance. We’ll be OK.”
He eased the SUV into gear. Keeping the speed slow and steady, he drove onto the bridge.
They didn’t speak. The only sounds were the rush of the rain and the rumbling of the tires on the wood.
A sudden roar brought Olivia’s head around to the passenger window.
Her breath locked in her throat as she recognized the wall of water headed for them. “Flash flood, Lincoln, hurry!”
He punched the gas pedal, but four inches of water did not make for great traction. The wheels spun. The vehicle fishtailed. “Hold on.”
The water hit the SUV broadside and pushed it sideways. They slammed into the side of the bridge. The guardrails held for the first few seconds. The SUV inched forward, and Olivia thought maybe they’d be OK. Then everything shifted and the world went upside down.